Accidents between passenger vehicles and large commercial trucks nearly always end catastrophically. The immense size and weight that semi-trailer trucks have make them incredibly devastating to just about any other vehicle on the road that they collide with. Smaller vehicles are often overturned, spun off the road, or pushed into oncoming lanes of traffic. If you have been injured in a truck accident (or lost someone to a wrongful death) in Chicago, contact an experienced Chicago truck accident attorney to start investigating and compiling a case on your behalf for personal injury. The preservation of evidence and collection of eye-witness statements early on is key in proving negligence in these big-rig cases.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, there were a reported 380,000 large trucks involved in traffic collisions nationwide. Within these crashes, over 4,000 ended fatally. In most truck accidents the driver of the truck walks away with little to no injury while the victim in the smaller automobile can suffer immense personal injury or even death. The Illinois Department of Transportation reported 922 fatalities due to automobile accidents in 2010. Accidents involving large trucks in Chicago are not uncommon, the NHTSA estimates that about 10% of all fatal accidents in the area involve a large truck (10,000 lbs gross vehicle weight or greater).
Injuries and Negligence
The list of potential injuries that a person can sustain in a truck accident varies greatly. In Chicago, victims can experience some of, but not limited to, the following injuries:
• Head and Brain Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Fractured Limbs
• Extensive Burns
• Neck Injuries
In addition to merely being injured, people struck by large commercial rigs may die as a result. If negligence was ruled to have been the causation of the incident, then a claim of wrongful death may be brought forth by the family of the decedent. Negligence is defined as a conduct that a person engages in which is culpable in that it falls short of a reasonable accepted standard. Had a person exercised greater care, then they could have foreseen the potential outcome of their actions and prevented such injury or death from taking place. Truck drivers owe a duty of care to other motorists they share the road with and when this duty is breached people can suffer immense injury or death; when this occurs they are said to have been negligent. Some driving practices that are considered negligent in Chicago include:
• Traveling with Excessive Speed
• Driving Drunk
• Unlawful Lane Changes
• Failing to Yield
• Ignoring Posted Signage
If you have been injured, or lost a loved one to a wrongful death, in a Chicago truck accident then choosing to contact an experienced Chicago truck accident lawyer early on is vital. A Chicago lawyer trained in the laws and regulations of truck accidents will be able to investigate your case and establish if negligence was the source of your injury, or loved one’s wrongful death. As the Illinois statute of limitations starts running the moment the accident takes place, choosing the right legal council as soon as possible is key.